The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1887-04-28
Prohibition.

1IeSST'S, Lttteois'
The public mind is being excited on tao anes-
ton OF license Or no license for Inc nianhfac-
t1re and sale of spurious liquor, and the cues
tion has been put to the test lately in the city
of stanton by the votes ofthOse WHO are enti-
tied to vote within the corporation, and decl-
ded by small majority in favor of license Va
rious reasons have been advanced on the ques-
ton pro and con, the most plausible OF which
on the part of those who favor the license sys-
TEN, is that prohibition is unconstitutional,
that it deprves the citizen of his liberty RICH ts
sc. 10 decide this pointin The argument, we
must have recourse to The constitution itself
Now thus country is governed by Q c1nstitu-
tOn airi Ne boast Of It's being the best govern
ment in the world. The constitution then
must evidently Contemplate and de sign the
happiness and welfare of all who are govern ed
thereby, everything to the contrary notwith-
standing. Is it then unconstitutional to quar-
antfne a vessel loaded with lepeEs? TO Guar
antine g vessel on which the smallpox is rage
ing or q vessel which has she cholera OF: board
or any anything else that would imperil the
health lives ana welfare OF the community? IF
not then, it is not demonstrations. to stop ey-
ery djstiileTy and saloon i'll The Uunited States
TIE simple question before the rlbIi, mind
without any abstract reas 1ning thereon is
whether the manufactures of spurious liquor is
an evil or or not. Whether it is promotive of
satisfactolifyg We must have recour5e TO ex-
f,arience, and infinite wisdom has said "the tree
is know by it's fruit: a good tree cannot bring
forth evil fruit neither can a corrupt tree bring
good fruit.
traffic come forth and show if any community
either. politically, socially, morally religious
" and physically. We challenge them to do it,
Where do we see the fruit of this Upas tree
We see 1t in every druilkard in the land we
see il in the untold wretchedness and missIy-os
+ he tlrunkard's wife in the misery OF his limo
re Mt suffering children. We see it III the So
cial, moral and religious status of the entire
FAMILY The fruit of this corrupt tree is found
In every penitentiary and jail IN the United
States, IN every hospital and poor house, in a
maiority OF the murders committed ana to cap
the climax, the bible says no drunSard Shall
enter into the Kingdom OF Heaven. The CUES
ton now pl egents Itself to the mind and con-
science OF every honest man. who is responsI-
HE for all this amount of human suffering? We
need not go far to find an answer. They are the
and sellers of whisSey. They
are those who favor and votes to leealizst he, M
1oly traffic, ana they arc those WHO try TO dotge
James says that he -knoweth to do good and DO
hold him responsible for it whether In the
church orout oft. We ask the question, why
do men engage in this. unholy traffic? We an
swer to make money, live in fine houses, and
ride in fine carriages and look down with cons
Iempt and seorn upon the victims of drunken
ness lying bleeding at their feet, be not de-
,eiued tod has DuJ the prohibition bail Ill
motion and ID itlsill roll on despite OF ali on
position until il rolls all oyer these United
N say to all, get out of the way, If 1t rolls
oyer you, it might send you where you would
not like TO go.